Transition to College and Work BJ LeJeune, M.Ed., CRC, CVRT Mississippi State University

Advice on leaving high school… Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. ~Frederick Buechner

Hierarchy of Levels of Best Research Evidence (Boothroyd,2006) 1. Systematic Literature Review of Research Findings 2. Randomized Controlled Experimental Research 3. Non-randomized Controlled Experimental Research 4. Single Subject (Retrospective, Replicated) 5. Case Studies (Retrospective) 6. Expert Opinion

In our field what are the most common levels of research evidence? Single Subject (Retrospective, Replicated) Pre-Post Test measure of capabilities Case Studies (Retrospective) Expert Opinion

Words to live by…. Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude. ~Ralph Marston

Federally Funded Research Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on VR: Transition Services that Lead to Competitive Employment Outcomes for Transition-Age Individuals with Blindness or Other Visual Impairments

Major Transition Research Strands 1. Systematic Literature review to identify research on services leading to successful employment. 2. Data Analysis of 5 National Data Sources to identify relationships between potential factors influencing employment outcomes. 3. Focus groups and state level data to analyze factors influencing employment status of youth in transition 4. Project HIRE: Measure the effectiveness of 2 experimental interventions to prepare high school and college students for successful employment outcomes.

VRT/MACRT Focus Group: Most important services in transition Orientation & Mobility Services Activities of Daily Living Use of Assistive Technology Social Skills Nonverbal communication skills

VRT/MACRT Focus Group: Most important services for College and Employment Mentoring programs - Good role models w/VI who are successful in college/work Learn study skills for college. High school students going to work need many of same skills as those going to college (AT). Have college prep program to work on academics and learn how college is different.

VRT/MACRT Focus Group: Most important services for Employment Work exploration Interviewing skills How to address visual impairment/ discuss disability Self-Advocacy skills to tell employers/service providers what you need Learn what accommodations are needed for jobs and how to ask for them.

VRT/MACRT Focus Group: Most important services for Employment Summer work program with paying job to learn skills and expectations. Clients need information about careers. They frequently don’t know what they can do. Work Experience Programs Expose to professions and how blind people can do them, not just have them read Occupational Handbook

VRT/MACRT Focus Group: Most important skills in transition Problem solving is important. How to get accommodations. How to get their own place and take care of it. Important to learn about getting power, water, utilities, turned on. Organizational skills.

VRT/MACRT strategies Show how to do things instead of doing for (both client and family) Give room to make mistakes while safe Education about expectations in different environments (high school v. college/work) Collaborative w/teacher & parent. Educate parents about expectations. Need to know what child can do. Hard to teach some parents. Apply skills in real world environment.

MACRT Focus Group: Job Seeking Skills Learn to look at job description, figure out essential job tasks, and if they can do them and if they need accommodations. Find solutions for essential job functions, then how you can benefit the company

MACRT: Innovative Ideas High school juniors and seniors are encouraged to volunteer. Getting a job is good, but also learn to give to community. Summer work program. Expose parents to blind people working. Especially unusual jobs. Parents don’t imagine a totally blind person can be a scientist or engineer. Use OJT more. Supported employment services contracts. Job coaches, readers, etc. typically don’t know much about vision loss. Collaborative program between private agency and state agency, VI teachers, job coach/IL teacher, people in community (employers) for 16 – 19. Six students. Came together. VI teacher collaborated with counselor.

MACRT: Problems Work for VR but work with school systems. Arguments over who pays for what. Rehab teachers (VRTs) not included in a lot of meetings and it would be helpful if they were. Delivery must be collaborative. Everyone must do their piece. Not being asked by VR to work w/non college students. May be regarded as unemployable. Need to educate VR about blindness. They think if you don’t have college skills you don’t have skills to work. Many numbers of kids falling through cracks.

Disabled Students Office Focus group DSO is merely an advocacy group – students must be able to function independently. State services are great, but person will be successful if that is what they want to be. Guts and perseverance make a difference. Student Support Services are about civil rights issues, not about transition. Not job of student support services. Provide equal opportunity for success. Coach individual students. Let students experience the consequences of their actions instead of protecting. Work with parents to help them release their children.

DSO Focus Group: Skills to Success  Assistive technology. Must be proficient. Students may have exposure but in secondary school use is not on IEP, not measurable goal, not proficient.  Amount of reading is high, so proficiency in reading is important.  Adjustment to blindness training important. Skills needed like travel, technology, ADL, independence skills.  Must have self advocacy, be able to explain disability and ask for what you need.  Ability to use readers. Human readers, as opposed to machines. Training in using a reader.  Mental shift from K-12 to college students. Change from custodial mentality. Transition to articulating disability and functional limitations, modifications needed.

Overall Transition Project Results Early work experiences – most important predictor! having multiple experiences and finding jobs independently important also Academic competence – staying at grade level – and having a postsecondary degree Independent travel skills Parental support/expectations Begin Transition Intervention at the Earliest Possible Date Importance of Learning Self-Advocacy, Assistive Technology, and Study Skills

Outputs from NRTC Transition Research Transition to College Activity Calendar List of Transition Programs Career Advantage Career Exploration program preparation/ Journal Articles

Future Directions and Thoughts Funding options through WIOA - 15% on transition Job-driven training based on the President’s Memo of January More emphasis on dual customer – looking at the employer as a VR customer. The role of the Rehabilitation Counselor in job placement More innovative interactions with business leaders and human resources personnel

One last word….. Don't live down to expectations. Go out there, and do something remarkable. ~Wendy Wasserstein

Thank You!! B. J. LeJeune, CVRT, CRC National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision P. O. Box 6189 Mississippi State, MS NRTC - NTAC –